Jar-opener



DE WITT TOWER.

JAR OPENER,

APPLICATION HLED JULY 30,1919.

1,364,221 a Patented Jan. 1, 1921.,

STTES JAR-OPENER.

Application filed July 30, 1919.

To all whom it may con cern Be it known that 1, DE WITT TOWER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spencer, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Jar-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for opening a glass top fruit and the principal objects thereof are to provide a simple and inexpensive device or attachment for loosening the cover by means of which the leverage of the fastening wires can be employed to open the jar; to provide said device in such form, that it can be applied permanently to the binder which passes over the top of the jar when it is sealed; to provide a device that will be so inexpensive that one can be furnished with each jar of the ordinary type now on the market without material additional expense.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a glass top jar with a preferred embodiment of this invention applied thereto, and in inactive position thereon;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the opening device in position to commence to open the jar;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial side view showing a modification, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the jar on a horizontal plane just above the binder holding wire.

The invention is shown as applied to the well-known glass top jar 10, having a glass top 11. As is usually the case, a wire 12 surrounds the neck of the jar and is provided with a pair of sheet metal plates 13 on opposite sides. For the purpose of this invention the wire 12 is offset on opposite sides at 14 and the plate 13 indented so as to prevent the latter from moving along the wire 12 or they can be fastened otherwise.

A lever 15 is shown as usual, provided with two short arms 16, pivoted to the two plates 13, and having two eyes 17 to which the ends of a wire binder 18 are pivoted. This binder constitutes the means for clamping the glass top 11 down on the rubber washer 19. The lever 15 usually constitutes the means for clamping it firmly down in this position, holding it there, and also easily releasing it by reverse motion.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. d,'1921.

Serial No. 314,207.

Although the binder 18 is easily released in thls type of ar, the cover 11 is very diiiicult to remove because of the vacuum formed inside in the modern processes of canning. This cover can be taken oif very easily if air is admitted. It is my purpose to admit air, lift the cover at one side, and make use of the leverage secured by the lever 15 for these purposes. in the form shown in the first three figures, I accomplish this b means of an opening attachment made 0 wire and comprising a looped arm 20, two eyes 21, and two wedges 22, constituting the ends of this wire and extending nearly radially from the eyes.

When the jar is sealed and put away, this attachment hangs on one side of the binder as shown in Fig. 1. When it is to be used, the binder is loosened and brought down to one side in the usual way. Then the attachment 20, 21, 22 is brought up about to the middle of the binder as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. While the arm 20 is held down on the top of the cover with one hand, the lever 15 is pulled down by the other to force the wedges 22 in over the washer 19. When they have once entered over it, if the wedges have not already lifted the cover sufiiciently to admit the air, then the arm 20 is allowed to rock up as shown in dotted lines in Fig.

3, while the lever is forced farther down.

This rocks the wedges in under the cover and insures the admission of air and then raises the cover as shown in dotted lines.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4i, several modifications are involved. It is shown as made of sheet metal instead of wire, it is provided with one wedging point 82 instead of two, and it is detachable so that it can be used with more than one jar. The arm 30 is similar to the arm 20 in the other form and performs the same function. The detachable feature is provided by employing a hook at 33 with a notch behind it at 34%, so that it will receive the wire 18, so as to constitute a pivot.

It will be seen that in each case the device is extremely simple and that it makes use of the system of leverage used on all glass top jars of certain types for the purpose of opening the same. In this way, the parts of the jar which are present are utilized for a purpose for which they have not been employed heretofore. An important feature of the invention consists in the ease with which this simple attachment can be employed to raise one side of the cover and let air in so that it can be removed by hand.

Although I have illustrated and described only two forms of the invention, 1 am aware of the fact that other modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is L'The combination with a jar having a cover, and a binder permanently mounted thereon for holding the cover down on the jar, of means connected with the binder for projecting under the edge of and loosening the cover.

2. The combination of a jar, its cover, a pivoted binder for holding the cover closed, and a wedge pivotally connected with the binder for loosening the cover.

8. The combination with a pivoted binder for holding down the cover of a fruit jar, of a lever pivoted to the jar and binder, a wedge, and means for projecting the wedge under the cover when the binder is moved down. a j

4. The combination with a pivoted binder for holding down the cover of a fruit jar, of a lever pivoted thereon for operating the binder, and having means for projecting a wedge under the edge of the cover when the binder is moved down by the lever.

5. The combination with a jar sealing pivoted binder, of a member pivoted on said binder and having a wedge shaped point 7 adapted to project under the cover which is heldby the binder and provided with an arm, adapted to extend over the top of the cover. I

6. The combination with a jar sealing binder, of a member pivoted on said binder and having a wedge shaped point adapted to project under the cover, and provided with an arm, adapted to extend over the top of the cover, whereby when the binder is pulled down past the edge of the cover, the point can be forced under the edge of the cover by the downward motion of the binder, and further motion downward of the binder will cause said member to rock on its pivot, if the arm is allowed to rock slightly, to force the point farther in and lift the edge of the cover.

7. As an article of manufacture, an attachment for a jar sealing binder adapted to be pivoted thereto and provided with a wedge shaped point adapted to project under the edge of the jar cover and with an arm projecting upwardly over the top of the cover.

8. As an article of manufacture, a glass jar having permanently and pivotally connected with it a cover raising device arranged in position to project inwardly to ward the center between the jar and. cover.

9. As an article of manufacture, a jar having connected with it a cover raising device arranged and adapted to move inwardly toward the center of the jar in a general horizontal direction.

10. The combination with a jar, of a lever pivoted to the oppositesides of the jar, a

binder pivoted to thelever, and means coin nected with the binder for prying under the cover of the jar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature; l

DE WITT TOWER. 

